Calgary Flames Game Day 7: Hosting the New York Rangers (7:45pm MT)

The march to the Heritage Classic begins in earnest for the Calgary Flames (2-3-1, 5 points) on Tuesday evening as they host the New York Rangers (3-2-0, 6 points). It’s the second home game for the Flames and their first game back after a challenging five-game road trip that saw them capture just a single win. Can the Flames bounce back and build momentum towards their big Battle of Alberta on Sunday night?

The broadcast begins at 7:45 p.m. MT on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet 960 The Fan. (It’s part of a league-wide slate of 16 games, each with staggered start times.)

Projected lines courtesy Daily Faceoff:

Jacob Markstrom is the projected starter, backed up by Dan Vladar. Based on reports from the optional morning skate from our pal Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet, Dryden Hunt will slot in and it sounds like A.J. Greer will rotate out. Beyond that? We’ll find out at warm-up.

The Flames are back after a road trip that saw them go 1-3-1. On one hand, their possession stats are really solid and their penalty kill has allowed just a single goal all season (while scoring two shorthanded goals). But they’re not converting good possession and face-off stats into wins because of turnovers, defensive lapses, and goaltending that’s been perfectly adequate… but would have needed to make some wild saves to keep the Flames in a few games.

We’ll see if the Flames can get their ducks in a row at home.

Projected lines courtesy Daily Faceoff:

Igor Shesterkin is expected to start, backed up by Jonathan Quick. Tyler Pitlick and Zachary Jones are the expected extras, though Nick Bonino missed Monday’s practice due to an illness, so Pitlick might play against his old team.

It’s the second game of a five-game western swing for the Rangers; they began the trip with a 4-1 win in Seattle on Saturday, and they’ll face all four western Canadian teams on their swing. They’ve alternated wins and losses – win one, lose one – since the season began.

Keep an eye on beloved former Flames prospect Adam Fox, who constantly gets booed when he touches the puck in Calgary (due to declining to sign with the club after being drafted) and has three assists in three career games in the Saddledome.

The Flames are without Oliver Kylington, Jakob Pelletier, Kevin Rooney and Rasmus Andersson.

The Rangers are healthy.

This is the first of two meetings between these clubs this season. They’ll meet again in New York in February.